"The State of Israel ... will ensure complete equality of social and political
rights of all its inhabitants irrespective of religion ... it will guarantee freedom
of religion and conscience." - May 1948)

Quote

"In pluralism you can’t just say, 'I like it.' You have to present an intelligent argument for embracing your conviction. And, I say there can be conviction and depth if you learn to hear your own music without having to negate the other. Acclimation without negation. I don’t have to negate the other in order to affirm what I have."

Hiddush Newsletters

Hiddush legal advocacy ranges from cases dealing with the abuse of religious IDF draft exemptions for young women to elderly hot dog vendors who legally operate their carts in Jerusalem on Friday night.

The IDF and the military Rabbinate will allow Reform rabbis and rabbis of other streams to conduct military burial ceremonies, as well as allow for secular funerals in military cemeteries. This official commitment was made by the attorney representing the State before the Supreme Court at a hearing held today (July 4, 2019) in response to a petition filed by Hiddush for Freedom of Religion and Equality against the IDF.

Last week, Prof. Ben David published a policy brief titled 'Two Wars and Demography: A Long Run View of Israel’s Recent Elections'. Its importance cannot be over-exaggerated. We can only express the hope that leaders and policymakers will take the time to study it carefully.

Hiddush provides context and more accurate understanding of what may appear to onlookers from the Diaspora as growing support for the ultra-Orthodox political parties due to the increase from 13 to 16.

Hiddush congratulates the Women of the Wall on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of their just struggle and tomorrow's gathering of hundreds of women from around the world to commemorate this special occasion at the Western Wall for Rosh Chodesh Adar.

The political explosion of the past 24 hours changes the political map of the parties that now await the voters’ decision. With the merger of the Israel Resilience party and Yesh Atid party, Prime Minister Netanyahu has an electoral fight on his hands for the first time in years.

64% of undecided voters said that they are more likely to vote for a party that will commit itself to promoting freedom of religion and equality of civic burden. So too, 52% of the adult Jewish public.

Rabbi Uri Regev responds to a dramatic press release issued by the Religious Services Ministry, which reveals a “significant decline of 7.5% in the number of couples marrying civilly overseas not according to halacha.”

Both in Israel and in the USA, money laundering is a common phenomenon in the ultra-Orthodox community. Just as MK Rabbi Gafni fought tooth and nail to protect ultra-Orthodox free loan societies from oversight, so too did the American ultra-Orthodox community lobby for the 2018 prison reform law passed by the US Congress and signed by President Trump.

As rabbis representing the full spectrum of Jewish denominational life, we no longer expect any flexibility, decency or inclusiveness from a body controlled by a monopoly that represents such a small, fundamentalist sliver of the Jewish rainbow.

The Israeli media has recently been discussing a new ruling by the Supreme Court, in which the Court approved the decision of the Rabbinical Courts regarding the ownership of a residence shared by a couple who are currently going through divorce proceedings.